M
The plot was very interesting, and incredibly unique for its time. As it’s the first serial killer movie, it sets a strong precedent for others but yet still does so many things that are entirely different from any other movie. The characters are incredibly well written, even though there’s only one major character and the rest are groups. The contrast between the police and the criminals, working towards the same goal for the same reason: to get people off their backs. They both use dirty tactics when necessary and have similar trains of thought. Hans Beckert himself is also a fascinating individual, he is mentally tormented like many other killers, he has a sort of split personality disorder and feels terrible for his actions in that murderous personality, yet refuses to take responsibly. This lack of humbleness adds an entire other layer to this Man. The pacing is perfect, Fritz Lang really paces all his movies very well, the scenes are the perfect cross between short and long and always show what’s needed to move the story forward, an give it an artistic flair. The world building was not the man focus of this movie at all, but still a pretty solid background piece. The outfits and speech of the characters indicated strongly which group they leaned towards, making it easy to distinguish characters. The themes to this movie are fantastic despite being used many times. Lang himself says that his main message was about how people needed to keep closer watch on their children, essentially it was about shifting blame, the serial killer killed my kid instead of why was the child out alone for so long? The other personality kills people, not me so why do I have to suffer the consequences? These rhetorical questions that lead to victims mentalities are very important. Beyond that, it discusses justice itself. Hans Beckert is a complicated villain, he’s done horrific things and no one knows if he can change or control that other part of him. Is it justified to kill him? The cinematography was really good, I adore who Lang shoots scenes with sheets of paper, he shoots them like it’s a person. Beckert’s introduction was masterfully done, as this is Lang’s first film in sound, he introduced the villain and they identify him later through sound. As for emotional impact, it left a pretty decent dent on me. I felt bad for so many of the characters, Beckert, those killed, their families left behind, it seems like an impossible situation, no matter what is picked, one side will greatly suffer. Also, the tension and fear this movie radiates is wonderful. This movie is also very unique, its themes of taking responsibility and mental illness in the court system are super exclusive to this movie. So many things are special in this movie, its themes first of its kind and also in a way the last. The dialogue was also fantastic, it was so natural and occasionally elegant, the criminals and police spoke very differently, but at times similarly. What I noticed is the criminals always speak very rudely, while the police mostly speak politely, then change when around someone their not trying to impress. Overall, I love this movie. It’s one of my many rewatches and every time I enjoy it more and more. I realize how amazing this movie was for its time, and even now.
Plot - 8
Characters - 9
Pacing - 10
Worldbuilding - 7
Themes - 10
Animation or Cinematography - 9
Emotional Impact - 9
Uniqueness - 10
Dialogue - 10
Overall Enjoyment - 10
Total: 92%